Unlike the residents of Tromso, Norway, the US Secretary of State didn't immediately shovel sidewalks at his Boston home after a snowstorm. The residents of the "Capital of the Arctic" say they'd never let it slip. Why? Lutheran guilt, for one.

ISIS has threatened to kill two hostages: an air force pilot from Jordan and a freelance journalist from Japan. Now Jordan has proposed a prisoner exchange, but will the deal satisfy ISIS? Can it happen soon enough?

A group of US university professors and human rights activists have written a letter to the Saudi ambassador to the US, asking him to stop the flagging of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi. If that's not possible, they say they're ready to take the lashes instead.

Saudi Arabia has been criticized for years for refusing to allow women to drive in the kingdom. That ban may soon be lifted — though the change comes with some fine print. Meanwhile, leaked documents reveal how IKEA avoids paying corporate taxes. And the Miss Uganda competition takes an agricultural turn. Those stories and more, in today's Global Scan.

This month King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia kept his promise and appointed women to the Shura Council for the first time. The council is a non-voting, advisory body. But the inclusion of women is significant.

Jordan's King Abdullah has managed to mostly fend off demands for internal change inspired by popular uprisings in neighboring Arab states. But that may not work for much longer. Jordan is facing financial crisis.

A group of US university professors and human rights activists have written a letter to the Saudi ambassador to the US, asking him to stop the flagging of Saudi blogger Raif Badawi. If that's not possible, they say they're ready to take the lashes instead.

When Wikileaks released a tranche of US diplomatic cables recently, the machinations of Saudi Arabia caused some headlines. That's Saudi Arabia. Long-term Saudi watchers caution against reading the cables on their own. The World's Alex Gallafent reports.

Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to do many things we take for granted, such as driving a car or traveling without a guardian's permission. The World's Laura Lynch examines what life is like for Saudi women on this International Women's Day.

Jordan's King Abdullah has managed to mostly fend off demands for internal change inspired by popular uprisings in neighboring Arab states. But that may not work for much longer. Jordan is facing financial crisis.

This month King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia kept his promise and appointed women to the Shura Council for the first time. The council is a non-voting, advisory body. But the inclusion of women is significant.